By definition, intuition is the ability to understand something immediately without having to use conscious reasoning. Some people also refer to this phenomenon as an instinctive or gut feeling. These intuitive thoughts and conclusions people come to may seem to come out of nowhere but are not as magical as they may feel and appear to be. Scientists believe it is likely that the unconscious mind operating at a much faster rate than conscious deliberation takes. The belief is that the unconscious mind is able to rapidly analyze the current situation in relation to past experiences, knowledge, and patterns to surmise probable outcomes and conclusions. Pattern and scenario matching pulled from long term memory and experiences are matched for similarities and seem to subtly penetrate the conscious mind in the form of a conclusion or feeling about a situation or person that ultimately guides our behavior.
Many people listen to their gut (intuition) quite closely, but it is not without flaws and inaccuracies. Intuition is also formed by biases, feelings, and past experiences. If a person has routinely had bad experiences with men or dogs, that will bias their intuition and incline them away from what may be men or dogs who are just fine. Some scenarios are better and yield a higher percentage of accuracy such as first impressions, attempts to deceive or swindle, and some dangerous situations. The speed that intuition provides can be evolutionarily advantageous in situations where time of reaction can matter....<<<Read More>>>...
